Seat attachment for table tops



June 22, 1965 E. L. DESJARDINS SEAT ATTACHMENT "FOR TABLE TOPS Filed April 29 19s:

EDWARD L. DESJARDINS ATTORNEY S 3,190,691 SEAT ATTACHMENT FOR TABLE TOPS Edward L. Desjardins, 1117 Waller Ave., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Filed Apr. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 276,550

1 Claim. (Cl. 297-174) Myinvention relates to new and useful improvements in infants .chairs,-particularly infants chairs adapted to .be detachably secured to a-conven tional table. Normally, when infants arrive at the age at which they can sit to the table, relatively awkward and incon- 'venient highchairs are. utilized which not only take up a lot of space but incorporate a tray for the infants so that although the infant is adjacent the family while at meals, nevertheless he is not part of the family group.

Not only are conventional highchairs diflicult and awkward to position adjacent a dining room table, but they suffer the additional disadvantage that they are awkward to store between meals.

I have overcome these disadvantages by providing a relatively simple chair which can readily be attached to the edge of a conventional table and yet which at the same time is safe inasmuch as the infants weight maintains the chair in attachment with the table.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described where the infant is actually part of the family group around the table inasmuch as the table surface can be used by the infant.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described in which the infant is positioned close to the table edge and is prevented from slipping from the infants chair by the engagement of the chair with the table.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described in which the infants chair may be readily stored in a convenient cupboard when not in use.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is simple in construction, economical in manufacture, and otherwise well suited for the purpose for which it is designed.

With the foregoing objects in view, and such other objects and advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, my invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly described, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the seat attachment applied to a table top shown in cross-section.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the seat attachment per se on a reduced scale.

FIGURES 3 and 4 are fragmentary views, similar to that shown in FIGURE 1 and illustrating the manner in which the seat attachment is removed from the table top.

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of a modified embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary, enlarged sectional detail, taken substantially in the plane of the line 6-6 in FIG- URE 5 and illustrating the table top by dotted lines.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

Although the chair shown in the attached drawings has been formed from one piece plastic or plastic reinforced with glass fibres, nevertheless it will be appreciated that the same invention can be adapted for use with chairs constructed of wood or metal and with open or closed sides and back portions.

Proceeding therefore to describe my invention in de- United States Patent O 3,190,691 Patented June 22, 1965 tail, reference to the accompanying drawings'will show that the chair comprises a chair body 9 including a seat panel or portion 10 having an upwardly extending back portion 11 formed upon the rear of the seat portion. Side portions 12 extend upwardly from the sides of the seat portion and are joined to the sides of the. back portion as clearly illustrated.-

The'chair is adapted for attachment to a conventional tabletop 13 having an upper surface 14, a lower surfacev 15 and a marginal'edge 16, the lower surface 15 of the top being provided with the usual skirt 17 and also being equipped with a depending cleat 18 having an inwardly projecting lip 19. The latter is spaced downwardly fromthe lower surface 15 of the top so that an inwardly opening recess 20 exists between the top and the lip 19.

The seat. body 9 is provided on the side portions 12 thereof with a pair of forwardly projecting arms 21, the forward end portions of which are undercut so as to form a pair of fingers 22 which supportably rest on the upper surface 14 when the seat is applied to the table top, and as to also-form vertical abutment faces 23 at the underside of the fingers 22, which faces engage the marginal edge 16 of the top to prevent the seat from moving toward that marginal edge.

A pair of transversely spaced keeper members 24 project forwardly from the side portions 12 of the seat body below the apron 17 and cleat 18 of the table top, the keeper members having upturned forward ends 25 which are in supporting abutment with the lower surface 15 of the top and are provided with rearwardly projecting hookportions 26. The latter extend into the recess 20 between the table top and the lip 19 of the cleat 18, thus preventing movement of the seat away from the edge 16 of the top.

It will be apparent that the seat attachment is thus firmly held in position on the table top as shown in FIG- URE 1. When it is desired to remove the same, the seat is first raised in the direction of the arrow 27 in FIGURE 3 so that the abutment faces 23 are positioned above the upper surface 14 of the top 13. The distance between the upturned ends 25 of the keeper members 24 and portions 28 of the seat body below the arms 21 is such that the seat may then be moved in the direction of the arrow 29 to disengage the hook portions 26 from the recess 20 of the cleat 18, thus facilitating subsequent removal of the seat from the table top in the direction of the arrow 30, as shown in FIGURE 4.

The modified embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 is similar to that already described, except that only one keeper member 24' is provided as 'a forward extension of the seat panel 10 in place of the two keeper members 24 on the side portions 12 of the seat. The single member 24' is intended to be straddled by the occupant of the seat and has an upturned end 25 terminating in a hook portion 26 to engage the cleat 18 as in the embodiment of FIGURES 1-4.

Since various modifications can be made in my invention as hereinabove described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claim without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

The combination of a table top having upper and lower surfaces and a marginal edge, a cleat secured to the lower surface of said top in inwardly spaced relation from said marginal edge, said cleat having an inwardly projecting lip spaced downwardly from said top and forming an inwardly opening recess between the lip and the lower surface of the top, and a readily applicable and removable seat attachment for said table top, said seat attachment being devoid of moving parts and comprising a seat body, a pair of transversely spaced arms integral with and projecting forwardly from said seat body, the forward end portions of said arms being undercut to provide a pair of fingers supportably resting on the upper surface of said top and a pair of vertical abutment faces at the underside of said fingers in engagement with said marginal edge of said top to normally prevent movement of the seat body toward the marginal edge of the top, at least one keeper member projecting forwardly from said seat body below said cleat and having an upturned forward end disposed inwardly of the cleat, said upturned end of said keeper member being in supporting abutment with the lower surface of said top, and a rearwardly projecting hook portion provided on said upturned end, said hook portion normally extending into said recess between said lip and the lower surface of the top to prevent movement of the seat body away from the marginal edge of the top, the horizontal distance between said upturned end of said keeper member and portions of said body 4 below said arms being such as to permit withdrawal of said hook portion from said recess when the seat body is raised so as to position said abutment faces of said fingers above the upper surface of said top, whereby to facilitate instant removal of the seat attachment from the table top.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 759,560 5/04 Sharp 5-282 1,337,103 4/20 Straith 297-174 1 1,973,866 9/34 Christenson et a1 297-140 2,489,084 11/49 Ducey 297-174 2,509,036 5/50 Cox et a1. 297-174 2,540,672 2/51 Holmes 297-174 2,912,201 11/59 Lidums 248117.7 2,989,112 6/61 Sonnleitner.

FOREIGN PATENTS 497,900 9/54 Italy.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

